I have been so very fortunate to exhibit solo over 90 times. This was at the Vancouver East Cultural Center. Over the years I have moved from using oil paints, to using acrylics. All of the paintings below are done with oils. I am happy to say that most of these are now held by collectors.

VIDEOS

ABOUT ME

Laara WilliamSen has been painting and drawing since the age of 3 years. Growing up in

the Lower Fraser Valley, B.C., Canada, she was immersed in the seasons and surrounded

by a large extended family and a supportive country community where she received much

encouragement to continue her drawings as a child. At the age of 19 years, she was

fortunate to study with the international artist, Robert E. Wood in both his New Westminster

and North Vancouver, B.C. studios where he taught her the basics of oil painting. During her

twenties, she painted as many as six paintings a day one on top of another on cardboard in

her garage studio. Often, she painted nature from memory. At this time, she also began to

sell her paintings from her home studio through personal referrals.

WilliamSen attended the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada and graduated in 1988 with a four year major in Interdisciplinary studies. She has been deeply influenced by the art works of W. Kandinsky, Georgia O'Keefe, Frieda Kahlo, Emily Carr and the works of the Impressionists and Fauve artists. The city and street people inspire her to paint as does the forest, ocean and stars. She is fascinated by our responses to the infinite cycles within both nature and human nature. Colour and texture are important to her. In the end, although she creates the painting, she believes that once it is completed the painting has a life of its own.

WilliamSen has received nine international awards, most notable, the Top Ten Painting Award in 1989 in the International Artitudes Competition sponsored by Gallery 54 in SoHo, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. and curated by the Fogg Museum, the MOMA in Chicago and the Guild Hall Museum. Other awards include the PEACE PROJECT, U.S.A. selected touring international group exhibition, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Some local awards include The B.C. Cultural fund and The B.C. Scholarship Fund in Canada. She has exhibited solo over 90 times and participated in 131 group exhibitions. During the past few years WilliamSen has been honored to be selected to participate in twenty-six international group exhibitions. Her art works are held in Permanent Collections at the Paul Getty III Museum, Siena, Italy, The Boston Art Library, New York, USA, and the Biuro Pronocji Kultury, Gdansk, Poland. WilliamSen’s paintings are held in private collections in Canada, the U.S.A., Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Germany, France,Thailand, China and Australia.